Training at Sea
Preparation for work at sea must include vocational training onboard a ship; theoretical knowledge alone is not enough to make a good navigation officer, electrician or engineer.
Gdynia Maritime University is the owner and operator of three ships which provide training and seagoing service to GMU students and students and pupils of other Polish and International institutions: the world-renowned sailing ship Dar Młodzieży, the modern research and training ship Horyzont II, and the research ship IMOR.
seafarer training takes place aboard the sail training ship Dar Młodzieży, which can accommodate 35 permanent crew members, 6 lecturers and 136 students. Dar Młodzieży has completed many interesting voyages on the seas and oceans of the world and is enthusiastically welcomed and admired in ports in all corners of the globe. The 'white frigate' has also taken part in many races, winning many prestigious awards.
Complementary to the training on the University’s sailing ship is instruction onboard instrument ships and merchant vessels. Radar and manoeuvre training previously took place on the Horyzont and the Zenit, which were replaced by the Horyzont II – a research and training ship equipped with the most advanced technology and instruments. The vessel can accommodate 57 crew, students and scientists in single and double cabins. It is also adapted to carry cargo and conduct research at sea, such as during its regular voyages to Spitsbergen.
GMU students also participate in training on merchant ships, bulk carriers, modern container ships, tankers and passenger ships. This is made possible thanks to the offers of polish and foreign ship-owners to provide such training.
Within the Erasmus programme, students may also choose to travel abroad to complete their placement at collaborating institutions, companies, or other organisations in Europe for a period of three months up to a full academic year. University students can also have their placement arranged by Polish institutions that specialise in organising placements abroad.